Tape end holding means



Allg- 25, 1964 J. c. MORRISON 3,145,477

TPE END HOLDING MEANS Filed sept. 21, 1961 l In "/yq' 4 J/ @@U INVENTOR.

United States Patent() 2 Ciainis. (Cl. 33-137) This invention relates to means for holding one end of a tape at a predetermined location incident to steel c011- struction work such as performed by Welders or other artisans.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a tape end holder comprising a magnetized block of steel or iron having means for engagement by the hooked end of a measuring tape effective to hold said engaged end at a selected position whereby the workman can proceed with the layout of the work without need for a second person to hold the tape end for him.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tape end holding means having means by which the device may be accurately located with respect to a point on an overhead surface and having means aligned with said locating means effective to hold a plumb line for locating vertically disposed points.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tape end holding means of the above character having a tape end engaging means which is swingable about an axis to enable measurements to be taken at desired angles relative to the surface on which the said tape holding means is positioned.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described, by way of example, in the following specification of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specication and in which drawings:

FIG. l is a top perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of the device,

FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view with the tape end engaging bail moved to a different position than shown in FIGS. l and 2,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3 and showing, additionally, in broken lines, one example of holding a tape by said device,

FIG. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing a device used to support a plumb line, and

FIG. 6 is a second, somewhat diagrammatic view showing other representative uses of the device.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a rectangular block of paramagnetic material 1 having a permanent magnet 2 embedded therein and disposed ush with an attaching surface 3 of said block. The block 1 adjacent the corner of an end surface 4 which forms a juncture with the attaching surface 3 is provided with an outwardly extending loop 5 comprised of a strip of metal bent into shallow, U-shaped configuration and comprising leg portions 6, 6 having their free ends attached to the said one end surface of said block at the side edges thereof and an intermediate run 7 spaced from and extending parallel to said end surface; one edge of said loop being disposed in the plane of the attaching surface 3. The inner face S of the run 7 is disposed at some predetermined distance from the opposite end face 9 of the block 1, eg., 2 inches, and the loop thus serves as a retainer for the usual hook H on the end of a tape (usually metal) T as shown, for example, in broken lines in FIG. 4. A typical use is shown in FIG. 4 in which the block 1 is placed upon a steel plate or floor P with the end 9 disposed against the side of an angle iron A. The magnet will hold the block in that position by providing sufficient gripping power to prevent sliding of the block on the plate P. Being thus located, the dimension to be ascertained relative to the angle iron will be that read on the tape plus the length of the device illustrated, viz., 2 inches.

The block 1 carries a swinging loop or bail 10 formed of a strip of metal bent into U-shape comprising leg portions 11, 11 having the ends thereof pivotally mounted by a hinge pin 12 on the opposite side surfaces of the block 1 and at a point thereon adjacent to the corner formed by the juncture of the surface 3 with the end 9 of said block, and said leg portions being interconnected by a crossbar or run portion 13 disposed at such a distance from the hinge pin 12 that in all positions through which said bail may be swung between a position such as shown in dotted lines at the lower left hand corner of FIG. 6 and a position in which said crossbar 10 overlies the loop 5, the distance to the corner of the block formed by said end and attaching surfaces shall be substantially the aforesaid predetermined distance. The leg portions 11, 11 grip the sides of the block 1 sufficiently tightly so that the bail will remain in any position to which it may be moved until it is intentionally moved to another position.

Thus, when an angular dimensional distance is desired, the bail 10 is set at the desired angle relative to the surface on which the attaching surface 3 of the block will be mounted, the block is positioned on the structural surface, the tape end is hooked to the crossbar portion 13 and extended to ascertain the desired dimension as shown by the diagonally extending tape in FIG. 6. This ligure also shows additional modes of use from a single setting of the block 1, as on a floor F against a wall W; it being required, of course, that for such use, the wall W shall be iron or steel.

FIG. 5 shows still another use of the device as for locating a point on a floor F directly below a steel ceiling or deck D. The sides and the end 9 of the block 1 as well as the outer surface of the crossbar portions 7 of the loop 5 are all provided with registry lines 14 which define imaginary right angle intersecting lines on the surface 3. Assuming a point on the under surface of the deck D to have been determined -by layout lines 15 crossing each other at right angles, the block 1 is attached to the ceiling with the registry lines 14 thereof matching the cross lines 15 on the ceiling. The block 1 is provided with an eye member 16 projecting from the face 17 which is opposite the attaching surface 3 and which is aligned with the point of intersection of the said imaginary lines dened by the registry lines 14. The eye is thus positioned directly beneath the intersection of the layout lines 15 and, accordingly, a plumb bob B suspended by a cord C from the eye 16 will locate the point on the floor F which is directly below the intersection of the lines 15.

While the device can be used to advantage to locate a point on a floor relative to a point 0n a ceiling, it will be appreciated that by the same arrangement, a point on a ceiling relative to a point on a fioor can also be determined and following that desired lateral or angular measurements can be taken relative to the point on the ceiling thus determined.

Although the device is of value to structural Welders generally, its greatest value is for Welders employed in shipbuilding work in which the determination of angles, plumb lines, etc. are important and time consuming considerations. It is to be noted that the device can be installed anywhere on a vertical surface, a ceiling, a oor or anywhere there is an iron or steel surface to which the magnet will attach the block.

While in the foregoing specification there has been alargar/7 disclosed a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not to be inferred therefrom that the invention is limited to the precise details of construction thus disclosed by way of example, and it will be understood that the invention includes as well all such changes and modiiications in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come Within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tape holding means for steel structural workers, said means comprising a rectangular block of para-magnetic material having a magnetized area on one face thereof and having a plurality of separate, optionally usable, tape hook engaging means; one of said tape hook engaging means comprising a rigid member iixed to said block and having a tape hook engaging run disposed spaced from and parallel to a corner edge o said block which is formed by lthe juncture of two faces of said block and including said one face and the other of said tape hook engaging means comprising a `bail pivotally mounted on said block for swinging movement about an axis which is parallel to said one face of said block and which is disposed in close adjacency -to that corneredge ai ot' said block which borders said one face of said block and which, with reference to said one face, is diametrically opposite said first named corner edgegrsaid bail having a second tape hook engaging run disposed parallel to the tape hook engaging run of said rst named tape hook engaging means.

2. A tape holding means as claimed in claim 1 in which the tape hook engaging portion runs of both of said tape hook engaging means are disposed at known distances from the corner edge of said block adjacent to the axial line about which saidrother or said tape hook engaging means is pivotally movable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 792,944 Stow June 20, 1905 859,832 Nordstrom July 9, 1907 2,269,345 Nickle et al. Ian. 6, 1942 2,853,785 Raifsnider Sept. 30, 1958 3,017,036 Albert Jan. 16, 1962 3,036,791 Siggelkow May 29, 1962 3,068,573 Sidwell Dec. 18, 1962 

1. A TAPE HOLDING MEANS FOR STEEL STRUCTURAL WORKERS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BLOCK OF PARA-MAGNETIC MATERIAL HAVING A MAGNETIZED AREA ON ONE FACE THEREOF AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE, OPTIONALLY USABLE, TAPE HOOK ENGAGING MEANS; ONE OF SAID TAPE HOOK ENGAGING MEANS COMPRISING A RIGID MEMBER FIXED TO SAID BLOCK AND HAVING A TAPE HOOK ENGAGING RUN DISPOSED SPACED FROM AND PARALLEL TO A CORNER EDGE OF SAID BLOCK WHICH IS FORMED BY THE JUNCTURE OF TWO FACES OF SAID BLOCK AND INCLUDING SAID ONE FACE AND THE OTHER OF SAID TAPE HOOK ENGAGING MEANS COMPRISING A BAIL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BLOCK FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS WHICH IS PARALLEL TO SAID ONE FACE OF SAID BLOCK AND WHICH IS DISPOSED IN CLOSE ADJACENCY TO THAT CORNER EDGE OF SAID BLOCK WHICH BORDERS SAID ONE FACE OF SAID BLOCK AND WHICH, WITH REFERENCE TO SAID ONE FACE, IS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SAID FIRST NAMED CORNER EDGE; SAID BAIL HAVING A SECOND TAPE HOOK ENGAGING RUN DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE TAPE HOOK ENGAGING RUN OF SAID FIRST NAMED TAPE HOOK ENGAGING MEANS. 